WARNING: SQUEAMISH ALERT
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the morning after I cleaned outside the windows above the kitchen sink, I spotted this busy little guy (or is that gal) preparing its dinner
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY
by Mary Howitt
‘Will you walk into my parlour?’ said the Spider to the Fly,
”Tis the prettiest parlour that ever did you spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show when you are there.’
‘Oh no, no,’ said the little Fly, ‘to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.’
‘I’m sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?’ said the Spider to the Fly.
‘There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin;
And if you like to rest awhile, I’ll snugly tuck you in!’
‘Oh no, no,’ said the little Fly, ‘for I’ve often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!’
Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, ‘Dear friend, what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I’ve always felt for you?
I have within my pantry good store of all that’s nice;
I’m sure you’re very welcome–will you please to take a slice?’
‘Oh no, no,’ said the little Fly, ‘kind sir, that cannot be,
I’ve heard what’s in your pantry, and I do not wish to see.’
‘Sweet creature,’ said the Spider, ‘you’re witty and you’re wise;
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you’ll step in a moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.’
‘I thank you, gentle sir,’ she said, ‘for what you’re pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I’ll call another day.’
The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again;
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing:
‘Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple–there’s a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead.’
Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue;
Thinking only of her crested head–poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour–but she ne’er came out again!
And now, dear little children who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed:
Unto an evil counselor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.
- Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is the most common phobia.
- Half of all women, and one quarter of all men in the United States experiencing it in some degree.
- Throughout the world only 2% of the 63 000 species of arachnids are harmful to humans.That means that most spiders are harmless,and a scorpion’s sting is rarely deadly.
- In the whole world, there are only 7 types of spiders which can be declared as dangerous to humen.
- There are nearly 40,000 species of spiders worldwide and about 3,800 in the US.
- Spiders generally live for 1 or 2 years. The longest living spiders recorded was aged 20 years
- Spiders rarely bite people and only do so as a means of defense.
- Spider silk is the strongest natural fiber known. It’s exuded as a liquid and hardens when the spider pulls it, thus aligning the molecular structure. It will stretch up to 1/3 of its original length without breaking.
- There is no correlation between the size of the spider and the degree of venom potency.
- Spiders cannot eat solid food. Everything they ingest must be liquefied.
- Contrary to popular belief, the female Black Widow spider seldom devours the male after mating
How do you feel about spiders?
Eu morro de medo de aranhas e aqui no Brasil tem duas muito venenosas e comuns: a aranha marrom e a armadeira. Obrigada por visitar meu blog. Abraços
The poem is a good read Lorrainne! I think I can read it to my little one. Interesting facts about spiders too! I remember, wanting to do my final year project on these little creatures, but changed my mind:)
I always loved this poem, Lorraine, and have not read the whole thing in several years. They are amazing things, aren't they, but they still kind of creep me out! xo Diana
You know I've never read the whole poem before.
Spiders don't bother me so long as they keep their distance
Interesting! And great photos! I am not afraid of spiders but wish they stayed far away. They do cause a mess on the porch. And one of my favorite poems! I know it by heart from when I was a kid. My dad read it to us a LOT!
Wow, I learned a lot here today, Lorraine! I really do hate all spiders. Yuck!
I really don't like spiders, I can deal with small ones but not big ones. I know it's silly but I just can't do it!
I pretty much leave spiders alone as long as they are outside. But, I must point out that this one of yours is shaped like a young black widow. If I had one like yours, I'd get my Macro lens and get a closeup shot of the spider's abdomen and then zoom into the picture itself to see if there is an hourglass. Contrary to popular belief, not all of black widows have a red hourglass. Some will have silver, pale or white. And, contrary to popular belief, not all of them will be solid black. Some are brownish color and some will have designs on the back of their abdomen.
If there is a hourglass present, I'd kill it. I've killed a few of them already this spring and two of them were female black widows (shudders).
I have a picture of an immature male widow on my blog taken in 2012 with a pale white hourglass.
I loved this poem and haven't read it in a good long while. I have a grand daughter who would love this. Some interesting facts about spiders too…As for me? They definitely give me the creeps, haha. Enjoy your week-end!